Method of controlling zoological and aquatic plant growth

Abstract

A method of controlling target aquatic microorganism pest populations by exposing the target population to an effective amount of an aquacidal compound. The aquacidal compounds are selected from the group consisting of quinones, anthraquinones, naphthalenediones, quinine, warfarin, coumarins, amphotalide, cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione, phenidione, pirdone, sodium rhodizonate, apirulosin and thymoquinone. The method is particularly effective for treating ballast water of ships or other enclosed volumes of water subject to transport between or among geographic areas to control the relocation of plants, toxic bacteria, and animals contained in the water.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 003,465, filed on 6 Dec. 2001, which is based on PCT application PCT / US01 / 05117 which is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 506,017 that was filed on 17 Feb. 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,468) and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 237,401 that was filed on 4 Oct. 2000. The disclosures of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention is directed to a method and compositions for controlling aquatic pests, including zoological organisms and plants. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method and composition for controlling, inhibiting, and terminating populations of aquatic and marine pest plants, organisms, and animals in a target treatment zone. The invention is particularly applicable for sterilizing a treated water volume (whether or not enclosed) of mollusks...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021] A further object of the invention is to provide a method of treating ballast water to kill aquatic organisms found therein and to control their spread.

[0022] Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of treating a volume of water in an enclosed space or localized region of open water with a toxic amount of an aquacidal compound which is readily degraded to nontoxic by-products.

[0033] The aquacidal compounds according to the present invention are surprisingly effective in controlling populations of aquatic pest organisms at very low concentrations. Typical target aquatic pests small and microorganisms that are translocated by movement of the surrounding water, e.g., currents, tides, and intake ports. When the aquacides of the invention allowed to remain in contact with the target pest organisms for a period within the range of several hours to several days, the target pest population is killed. The aquacidal compounds are then degraded through the effects of ultraviolet light, oxidation, hydrolysis, and other natural mechanisms into benign by-products that allow the treated water to be returned to beneficial use.

Problems solved by technology

However, this was not the first event of a non-indigenous species entering into US water.

As such, the integrity of the coastal waters of the United States and the Great Lakes basin has been substantially threatened by the increased rate of aquatic species introduction from other countries.

However, shortly before the turn of the century, water as ballast soon replaced these older methods of stabilizing ships.

While ballast water only accounts for a minor proportion of these introductions, the cost still runs to tens of billions of dollars in terms of industrial dislocation, clean-up, loss of product and loss of fisheries and other natural resources.

As noted above, one of the most notorious species introduced in the Great Lakes of North America is the Eurasian zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, which has become a major threat to inland water supplies from both a recreational and commercial aspect.

Unfortunately, their range now extends from the Great Lakes to Louisiana and estimated economic losses are estimated at more than $4 billion for the calendar year 1999.

An associated problem also occurs in pipes that supply potable water because even following purification treatment, the water has an off flavor.

Other detrimental environmental effects are the result of zebra mussel infestations both directly and indirectly.

As a result of its feeding preferences, zebra mussels may radically alter the species composition of the algal community such that potentially harmful species may become abundant.

These prior compositions and methods, although somewhat effective, have not been able to completely control the introduction of marine plants and animals into waterways.

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